Good afternoon. Boeing’s woes continued today with United Airlines saying it found loose bolts and other “installation issues” on multiple 737 Max 9 aircraft – the model that has been grounded in the US after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated plane mid-flight on the weekend.
Boeing shares sank 8% yesterday as the company grapples with the negative publicity. The grounding is unlikely to have a major impact on Australian skies, with no Australian airline possessing the Max 9 aircraft.
Top news
Blinken arrives in Israel | The US secretary of state is set for potentially difficult meetings with Israeli leaders and officials who have repeatedly proved resistant to pressure from Washington over the war in Gaza against Hamas. The US has offered staunch support to Israel since the war began but the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has angered Washington by so far refusing to offer any detailed public plans for the governance of Gaza when Israel’s military offensive ends.
Australian police renew search for wanted man in Greece | Australian police are issuing a global plea to locate one of the country’s most wanted men, who they say fled to Greece after allegedly stabbing a man to death in a Sydney nightclub 25 years ago. James Dalamangas is wanted over his alleged involvement in the death of George Giannopoulos in Belmore, in Sydney’s south-west, in April 1999.
Woman rescued after car swept into swollen Bendigo creek | A man jumped into rushing flood waters to save a 74-year-old woman swept away in Bendigo creek, risking his own life to secure her with ratchet straps to a tree, as Victorian towns brace for more flood damage.
Sydney teen vows to no longer drive ‘like an idiot’ after driving charges | Marcellus Otero, 19, was arrested in December and faced court for the first time today after being hit with nearly 50 driving-related charges. He told reporters he would likely plead guilty to some of the charges.
Anatomy of a Fall actor Samuel Theis accused of rape | According to Variety, Theis was removed from the set of a film called Je Le Jure and had to direct remotely after a crew member claimed that he was sexually assaulted. In a report published by the French newspaper Liberation, the alleged incident took place this July after a party held at an apartment. The unnamed crew member claims that he stayed at the apartment as he was drunk and was raped in the morning. Theis has denied the claim, stating that it was consensual. Theis’ lawyer has said that her client has not been approached by police or charged with any crime.
Five-year-old boy shot and killed while getting hair cut | Brandon Jamal Nation III was reportedly fatally shot in a Alabama home where he was getting his hair cut. His barber was also taken to hospital after being shot.
New Caledonia court bans shark culls | Authorities had begun hunting sharks after a series of attacks in 2023, including one which killed an Australian tourist. Local environmental groups estimate 83 tiger sharks and 44 bull sharks were killed last year. Authorities say they will appeal against the decision.
US naval officer sentenced over spying for China | Wenheng Zhao, 26, pleaded guilty in October to passing sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer. He will spend 27 months in prison and be required to pay a US$5,500 fine.
In video
Gathering of Italian fascists
Hundreds of Italian men were filmed making fascist salutes outside the former headquarters of the Italian Social Movement, a neofascist party. The movement morphed into the ruling Brothers of Italy party, led by incumbent prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who is now facing calls to ban neofascist groups.
What they said …
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“It’s a tough room. It was a hard job, I’m not going to lie … I’d be lying if [I said] it doesn’t hurt … Hosting is just a tough gig” – Jo Koy, comedian.
Koy addressed the online backlash over his performance as host for this year’s Golden Globes, which one unnamed prominent director reportedly called “a disaster”.
In numbers
Action on Armed Violence says 33,846 people were killed or wounded across the world by airstrikes, bombs or artillery in 2023, the most it has recorded since it began recording figures in 2020, due to the high number of casualties from the three-month war in Gaza.
Before bed read
Which non-dairy milk is worth your pennies? Tristan Lutze takes the test and finds one soy milk is the gold standard, while all almond milks are watery. And the most expensive oat milk on the list got the worst score of the tested oat milks.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: REAM. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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